Trade Wars Have Consequences—And Wyoming Could Pay the Price

We’ve all heard about the impending tariffs, some of which have already been put into effect, but now talk of retaliatory tariffs from some of our biggest trading partners are flooding in. Unsurprisingly, the news of U.S. tariffs on everything from cashmere to steel was not well received from global trading partners. Experts have been anticipating that other countries will in turn put tariffs of their own in place, but until recently, we weren’t sure what exactly that might entail.

Go deeper: Wyoming’s own biggest export market, Canada, is the latest to announce their tariffs against the U.S., following our steel and aluminum import tariffs that went into effect just yesterday. According to the Canadian government, they plan to follow a “dollar-by-dollar” approach and will be implementing a 25% tariff on American imports.

Canada isn’t the first country to announce retaliatory tariffs against U.S. imports—the EU recently revealed plans to impose tariffs on American products like motorcycles and whiskey, amounting to approximately $28 billion. Meanwhile, Mexico remains undecided but expects to reach a decision by early April.

WY We Care: Wyoming has a lot of skin in the trade game. These tariffs raise a threat not just to our national economy, but to our state’s as well. Individuals and businesses alike are raising concerns about the affect that these tariffs will have on the supply chain, their access to goods they’ve come to rely on, and the overall cost of living and working. The U.S. Chamber has spoken out against these tariffs, stating the harm it would do to the American business community.

Your Wyoming Chamber of Commerce will continue to monitor the situation and evaluate the best steps forward, and keep you in the know. But monitoring isn't enough—we need action. Wyoming businesses deserve solutions, not just setbacks. That means working with our leaders, advocating for smarter trade policies, and ensuring that our industries aren’t left bearing the brunt of these economic shifts. If we want to protect Wyoming’s economic future, we must push for policies that support free enterprise and fair trade. We need a fix, and we need a way forward.